International students planning to take the SAT in 2025 will have one more test day option. The College Board has added September 13, together with the other 2025 confirmed test days on March 8, May 3, June 7, August 23, October 4, November 8 and December 6. The September day adds a convenient test option that falls early in many US and other international admissions windows.
For Brazilian students, the September test day is especially convenient for those on the traditional February - December and northern hemisphere academic calendars.
For national curriculum students on a traditional February - December calendar, the September (like the August) test day is ideal as it does not conflict with vestibulares and the ENEM like the October, November and December dates do. Students will also have had ample exposure to their high school math content, or at least more than they will have seen by the March, May and June tests. Finally, the September test day allows students six weeks of test prep that does not overlap with their July break plans.
For students in an international curriculum, or on a northern hemisphere calendar it is a great option as it does not interfere with the IB and AP testing held in May and June.
For students planning to apply to the US, the September test day is a bonus, especially for those preparing to apply in the early round, typically by November 1. The Common App reported in November 2024 that international and domestic early round applications to their member institutions were up 5% and 7% respectively, compared to the year before. One more test day before the crunch of the early round will help those applicants have access to the test.
For students planning to use their SAT results into apply outside the US, the September date offers the ability to include scores in early rounds. Results are released in late September, well before October deadlines. However, while not yet confirmed, it looks like the September test result will come out on the same day as Bocconi's earliest deadline.
While both the August and September tests are convenient, I don't suggest taking them back to back. Students testing in August will most likely receive their scores only 8 days before the September test day, an insufficient period to understand their scores and target their test prep to make a significant improvement in their score. Some students may plan to take the tests back to back in order to take advantage of schools that have a super score policy. I prefer the addition of the September test, not for this tactic, but rather as an way to include more testers in this period of the year. The testing dates fill quickly, and having two options in this third quarter of the year allows increased access to the test.
If you are planning to apply to university this year and have questions about testing, or applications in general, reach out for a free 30-minute consultation.
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